


Enterprising

by catty_the_spy



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Music, Gen, Team Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-06
Updated: 2013-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-03 14:45:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1071693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catty_the_spy/pseuds/catty_the_spy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock’s been hiding superstardom from the Enterprise crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enterprising

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cleanwhiteroom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleanwhiteroom/gifts).



> Months ago, Cleanwhiteroom requested an AU where Spock was a rockstar. This is that au. Also covers the h/c bingo prompt: “secret identity discovered”.

In the middle of a very important diplomatic mission, a small child asks Spock for his autograph. This incident marks both the nadir and the apex of his musical career.

 

“Spock,” Jim asks again, because James Kirk is persistent in the way a dog scratching at fleas is persistent. “Spock, I don’t understand: why are so many people asking for your autograph?”

“Stop,” McCoy says. This is a serious event, as Dr. McCoy is normally gleeful at the prospect of inciting emotional reactions. “If I have to sit through this argument one more time I will wring your neck and let you heal the ancient way. The slow and painful ancient way that involves immobility and plaster casings.”

“No you won’t,” Jim says, “because you’d feel too guilty. Stop pretending to be a hardass, Bones.”

Jim’s momentary distraction does not, unfortunately, mean that he has given up on his line of questioning.

“Come on, Spock, it’s happened twenty times. Don’t you owe me an explanation by now?”

“It has not happened twenty times.”

“Oh my God….” McCoy picks up his tray and leaves the table. Spock can hear him say “this argument has happened twenty times” under his breath. On this, he and the doctor agree.

 

“You could always tell them,” Nyota suggests, waiting for him to tune his lyre.

“It is none of their business.”

“True. But he’s not going to stop asking unless you say something.”

“The topic is closed,” Spock says firmly. “Please begin your warm-ups.”

 

Logically, Spock knows that it was not Nyota who uploaded his album to the ship database, but he cannot help a small stirring of suspicion. Still, the fact remains that it was Yeoman Sheryll Danning who uploaded the album, with the note “my fave!!! gr8 4 stressfl shifts xoxo worth all***”

The second upload is from Ensign Tsuni. It is his first “single”, a reworking of a classic piece from pre-Surak bonding rituals – PS Romantic 458 for Single Instrument is the official name in Federation Standard. Tsuni’s review includes the aside “my last clutch was made to this song”, as well as a picture of the clutch in question and her romantic partner.

The uploads continue from there. In short order his entire professional catalogue is available on the ship’s computer. It becomes the topic of the week amidst the ship’s main gossips.

It takes longer than expected for the captain to bring it up. When he finally does, it is at a chess game in Spock’s quarters.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were famous?”

Spock considers the board. “I am only moderately popular and it was unimportant. I am, first and foremost, a Starfleet officer. My hobbies are of no consequence, as they are legal and do not interfere with my duties.”

“Six albums isn’t ‘unimportant’” Jim says, placing a stack of computer discs on the table. “Neither is the one you did with Uhura, or the one you did with the _Federation Premier Orchestra_ , or the Planets United charity album.”

A small, nearly invisible frown forms on Spock’s face. “The Planets United album was not-”

Jim waves the sentence away. “You were one of twenty artists who helped give five war-torn starving planets food and medical care. Don’t you dare pass that off as nothing. That _matters_.”

There’s something unsettling in Jim’s expression. Spock takes a moment to consider the correct response. This conversation isn’t anything like he’d expected.

He watches as Jim visibly forces his emotions down.

“Let’s change the subject. This song, your latest single – what was it? Winds on a Star? Something like that – what’s it about? Bagpipes aren’t normally your thing.”

Spock will accept Jim’s attempt to manage the conversation. “The song ‘A Star Reaches for the Wind’ was a gift for Nyota, as was ‘Beauty Blows Through’. I allowed her to name them.”

“Beauty Blows Through…” Jim produced a PADD. “Beauty Blows Through, Beauty…ah. That hasn’t been released yet. _Frontiers_ has a lot of themed song titles; your fanbase has gone crazy with speculation. It’s a big change of pace for you. D’Artagnan, Saws and Rattles, She Walks in Freedom, A Lesson in Gears, Wild-” Jim stops. He looks up at Spock. “These are about us.”

Spock inclines his head.

Jim stares at him, then at the track list on his PADD. He chuckles. “Don’t tell Bones you named his song ‘Saws and Rattles’. Or if you do, _please_ make sure I am there to wish you goodbye.”

Spock’s expression is sour. “Nyota expressed a similar sentiment. I don’t see why Dr. McCoy would take offense to the title of my song; he is well aware of my opinions on his work.”

Jim cackles; no other word can accurately represent his reaction.

“I’m going to assume ‘Reckless’ is about me. ‘An Alternate History of the Universe’…I can’t even begin to assume…”

“Ensign Chekov.”

Jim laughs. “That’s _perfect_. ‘Ashalik’…huh. Uhura already has a song, so it can’t be about her.”

“Indeed; she would be displeased if it were.”

“Not a flattering word, eh?”

“On the contrary, it is so complementary as to be overly emotional.”

Jim frowns. “Your mom?”

Spock inclines his head. “It was a gift for my father. He consented to its place in the collection.”

Jim ends the conversation there. Spock wins the majority of their games that night.

 

Jim is in his quarters, digging deeper into Spock’s life as a music star.

_“[Error Redacted] Spock was one of the three Vulcan artists to be included in the Hope For Vulcan pledge drive. The other artists – [Error Redacted] Storuk and [Error Redacted] T’Salia – were honored in posthumous performances of their most famous work.”_

“Computer, pause recording.”

Jim does a search on Storuk and T’Salia. Most of his musical interest went towards pieces from Ancient Earth such as Richard Wagner and AC/DC. Spock’s albums are his first foray into modern music.

The performance of ‘The Wisdom of Surak’ at the pledge drive is beautiful. ‘Songs for Meditation’ is equally moving.

He devours their entire musical catalogues in a night. From there he drifts into Andorian synth brass and Klingon battle cgants performed by choirs of two-fifty and up.

Spock is a big up and coming. He and his lyre seem to show up everywhere – Jim isn’t sure where he finds the time.

 

Jim corners him at breakfast again, high off two hours of sleep and three hours thirty minutes of guttural Klingon musical badassery.

“Dude.”

Spock’s face twists into the least emotional expression of concern he can manage. “Captain?”

“You’re in a lot of music, man. Why haven’t you been stalked by the masses? You’re awesome!”

“It is a good thing that I am not being stalked, as that would require legal action. I believe that being a Starfleet officer makes such criminal activity difficult to perform.”

Jim laughs. It sounds a bit creepy even to his own ears; too much Klingon in such a short time.

He decides against coffee. Instead he finds some of the real bacon that Marcus Zhan always hides for him and gets a plate of bland replicated eggs.

He owes Marcus a blowjob. Real bacon is no small feat.

Spock was past asking about the bacon. He settles himself with raising an eyebrow, and says “Are you certain you’re well, captain? When you entered the mess today, you seemed…I believe the word is ‘jittery’.”

“I’m fine. Too much Klingon music.” Jim is in a very good mood. “I’m going to do some digging on Bones. He says he hates playing the harp, but he might be spending his leave in orchestras.”

“I assume that what you’ve said about Dr. McCoy is meant to be a humorous statement.”

Jim shakes his head. “We’re pretty musical around here. Bones’ granny made him learn the harp and the piano. Sulu plays the flute, Chekov has a cello somewhere, and Scotty plays this big brassy horn thing.’

Jim doesn’t mention Scotty’s bagpipes. Spock wouldn’t believe him. Sometimes Jim doesn’t even believe it.

Spock looks pensive. Pensive for Spock anyway – it was all in the eyebrows.

“And you, Captain? Do you also play an instrument?”

“Drums,” Jim says, and mimes drumming on the table.

Spock nods, as if this information slots nicely into his mental picture of Jim. It probably fit very well between “asshole” and “genius”.

It does give Jim an awesome/terrible idea.

“We should have a band! We could call it Enterprising; it’d be awesome.”

“I do not-”

“We’d be better than the Tantan shit you get on the music feeds. I hate Tantan, but the stigpop genre isn’t entirely awful. I’ve heard a few good ones, you know? Like…Symphony Psych and Traxcillia. Just, anything but Tantan. They are everything that’s wrong with modern music.”

Spock doesn’t reply. He’s cutting his mystery-veg pâté into strips. He’s _probably_ close to tuning Jim out. No big deal. He never actually _does_.

Jim is halfway through what he feels is scathing critique of the last century and a half of music when Spock puts his cutlery down.

“Jim. I would like to inform you now of my upcoming performances. At our next docking, I will travel with Nyota to two different planets. At that time, I will also begin composing the contents of my next album. I would like to request your assistance in this venture.”

Jim blinks. “Seriously?”

Spock doesn’t make the prissy “what is with the questions” face. Instead, he starts gathering his breakfast junk. “It is safe to assume that you would insist upon prying regardless. This way, your input will be productive.”

That’s a joke. Jim smiles.

 

Two years later, _An Exploration_ is released. The track “Dueling Strings” is incredibly popular.

Jim would love to be able to take credit, but mostly his “assistance” was mediating between Bones and Spock. He’d thought Spock was joking about Jim “helping” with the album.

It’s worth it, though, to get Spock to agree to a jazz-style number. Jim gets to make a joke about Scotty and blowing that makes Uhura blush; it devolves into tonguing and plucking jokes and Spock nearly gives up on them.

The resulting track is good enough for charity, and that’s even better than the fun that went into making it.


End file.
